Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)

The following information outlines the ACG student eligibility criteria that is effective with the 2009-10 Award Year.  

Otherwise eligible students who have earned fewer than 30 semester hours are considered to be in their first year of undergraduate study and may receive up to the maximum $750 Federal ACG Scheduled Award (ACG-1).

Otherwise eligible students who have earned a minimum of 30 hours, but fewer than 60 semester hours are considered to be in their second year of undergraduate study and may receive up to the maximum $1,300 Federal ACG Scheduled Award (ACG-2). Once students have earned 60 semester credit hours they are no longer eligible for ACG consideration.

All hours earned at UGA and transfer credit hours accepted by the university (including AP, IB and Joint/Dual Enrollment) are counted in determining the total hours earned and in calculating the 30 hour 3.0 grade point average. Newly entering freshmen students especially need to be aware that the receipt of AP credit after they have been awarded ACG may result in their earned hours exceeding the above cited ranges and their ACG being cancelled.

To be otherwise eligible, a student:

1. Must be a U.S. Citizen or Eligible Non-Citizen (effective 2009-10);
2. Must be eligible for and receive a Federal Pell Grant during the award year;
3. Must be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate degree program to qualify for the maximum Scheduled Award.   Effective 2009-10 the grant is prorated for students enrolled in at least 6 hours but fewer than 12 hours;
4. Must be enrolled in the first or second academic year of his or her program of study as defined above;
5. Must have completed a rigorous secondary school program of study after January 1, 2006, if a first-year student (ACG-1), and after January 1, 2005 if a second-year student (ACG-2). Rigor is determined by UGA Undergraduate Admissions based on U.S. Department of Education regulations;
6. If a second-year student (ACG-2), must have a minimum cumulative 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale at the end of the term in which the 30th semester hour of post-secondary credit was earned;
7. The total awarded financial aid cannot exceed the student's Cost of Attendance (COA) minus the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

Once a student has received the maximum $750 Scheduled Award (ACG-1) as a first-year student, he or she is no longer eligible for the ACG as a first-year student even if he or she has not yet earned 30 hours.

Once a student has received the maximum $1,300 Scheduled Award (ACG-2) as a second-year student, he or she is no longer eligible for the ACG as a second-year student even if he or she has not yet earned 60 hours.

Students who have been awarded the Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) should carefully note these very detailed and unique federal statutory and regulatory requirements governing how a student’s academic year progression is determined and the point at which the student must have earned the 3.0 cumulative grade point average for ACG-2.  For these reasons, any additional hours the university accepts for credit and changes to previously earned grades (including repeated courses) may retroactively affect a student’s eligibility for the grant.